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FLAVORINGS Calling the berries "all- spice" isn't much of an improvement. The name refers to the spice's flavor, which is often likened to a combination of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Many people who have only encountered the spice in its ground form assume that it's a blend. The slightly sweet, slightly piquant flavor of allspice means that it can be used both in sweet dishes, such as cakes and puddings, and in savory foods, from seafood to meat and charcuterie. Allspice is the fruit of an evergreen tree that's a member of the myrtle family. The berries, still green when picked, turn black when set in the sun to dry. Aromatic Allspice Not a blend, but a single spice with a sweet .. peppery appeal BY ROBERT WEMISCHNER A 24 llspice has long suffered from an identity crisis. Spanish explorers who found the spice in the West Indies thought aUspice berries looked like peppercorns and so called them pimenta, their word for pepper. As it turned out, aUspice isn't related to pepper at all, but nonetheless the spice is known as pimento throughout much of the world. BUY WHOLE BERRIES AND GRIND AS NEEDED Allspice is sold whole and ground. For the freshest flavor, buy whole berries and grind as needed in a pepper mill, a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle. If necessary, pass the spice through a fine sieve to remove any of the shell that resists grinding. Whichever form you buy, store allspice in a tightly closed glass jar in a cool, dark place, as you would any other spice. Whole berries will remain aromatic for up to two years. Use the ground spice within six months. THE BEST ALLSPICE COMES FROM JAMAICA Allspice is grown throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, but the allspice from Jamaica is considered the very best. The berries there have a higher oil content and a more pungent flavor than those grown elsewhere. The allspice plant is an evergreen tree that's a member of the myrtle family. When mature but still green, the berries are picked by hand, dried in the sun for about a week, cleaned, and packed for export. A SUPPORTING PLAYER WITH AN INTERNATIONAL REPERTOIRE Few recipes call for allspice to be used alone or as the primary flavoring. Instead, you'll find it combined with other spices to make highly aromatic dishes. Allspice is used in spice rubs, marinades, and pickling brines in cuisines as diverse as those of Europe, Africa, the Mideast, and the Caribbean. In Scandinavia, a generous scattering of whole allspice berries adds piquancy to many herring dishes. In its native Allspice's flavor resembles a combination of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Jamaica, allspice stars in jerk, the island's specialty spice rub in which smoke and spice come together to flavor grilled pork, chicken, and fish. Allspice is also part of the Moroccan spice blend ras el hanout, as well as the fiery Ethiopian spice paste called berbere. In the Mideast, stews, pi- lafs, and kibbeh, those ovals of ground lamb and cracked wheat, are often seasoned with allspice. Traditional English desserts such as plum puddings and mincemeat pies usually get a pinch of allspice, as do many spice cookies and cakes. Robert �mischner is the author of The Vivid Flavors Cookbook (Lowell House/Contemporary Books, 1994) . • FINE COOKING